Rack



Jly 2, 1940. E. FEIBELMAN f 42,206,033

f RACK Filed April 24, 1,939

PATENT AGENT Patented July 2, 1940 d UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE RACKErwin Feibelman, New York, N. Y.

Application April 24, 1939, lSerial l \`lo.`269,732

4 Claims.

This invention relates to stands or racks and more particularly to racksfor use in connection with kitchen articles, as, for example, saucers,cups, plates or the like.

It is an object ofthe present invention to provide a rack of the abovenature which securedly holds and maintains in position bulky articles,preferablyY cups or the like.

It is another object of the present invention to provide means forholding ythe articles with projected parts in staggered relation and insuch a manner that slipping off o f the articles is absolutely avoided.Y

Still another object of the present invention resides in the provisionof means for steadily supporting said rack onthe kitchen board, table orany other suitable place.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a baseforming part of said rack, in which base there may be housed atarticles, as, for example, plates, saucers, knives, etc.

Yet, another object vof the vpresent invention contemplates theprovision of means for easily manipulating saidflat articles for theirinsertion in and withdrawal from said rack.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a combinedsaucer and cup portable rack, which is so constructed that it may beplaced in any desired location and which may be transported safely fromone place to another with the various articles positioned therein.

It is a still further object ofthe invention to provide a rack forholding cups in stacked relation, provision being made for guidinglyreceiving the ears of said cups for preventing shifting thereof duringtransportation.

Still another object of the invention resides. in the provision of arack having a cup retaining portion and a saucer retaining portion, boththe cups and saucers being respectively sustained in stacked relation,the saucer retaining portion forming the vbase of the rack and being soconstructed as to .provide an inclined floor whereby the saucers areeasily slipped along the floor and along the upper surface of theadjacent lower saucer respectively,when placed in stacked relation.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention Will appear fromthe following disclosure thereof together with the attached drawingwhich illustrates certain forms of embodiments thereof. These forms areshown for the purpose of illustrating the invention since the same hasbeen found in practice tol give satisfactory and reliable results,although it is to be understood kthat they various instrumentalities ofwhich the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized andthat the invention is not limited to the precise arrangementA andorganization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

In the drawing: y Fig. l is a front view of a rack made in ance with theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof; Fig. 3 is a top view thereof; Fig. 4y isa modified form ofthe rack base shov'vn in a somewhat reduced size.Figs. 1 to 3 disclose the invention in one of many formsin which numeralI0 indicates a baseer-frame portion upon which is securedan extendedhandle I I. Base Ill and handle IIrnayv be formed o-f wire by suitable`bending operations, the handle VII being in this instance welded orsoldered to base or frame portion Illas indicated atl2. ,.1,

Base IIl has a plurality of legs I3, I4, I5 form'- ing a tripod. LegsI3, I4 are joined together by a raised b-ar I6 andthe rear leg I5 is`connected to said bar IB by a bar I'I constituting'a slantingframe-like or skeleton support I8 to accommodate such articles assaucers or plates I9 in stackedrelation placed within the rack throughthe open. preferably rectangularlyH shaped front portion 20. Since theskeleton floor or support I8 slants downwardly from said front portiontowards the rear a -saucer or plate A when in.

accord-l.

serted through opening offront portion 20 will.

slide towards the rear, abut against the rear'fleg extension I5a andwill be guided between vthe front upright portions I3a and |40.. Thenext A, B, C etc. are very easily and conveniently in-A serted andmaintained in stacked relation within the Ybase or frame portion I0 ofthe rack, the vertical extensions I3a, 14a and I5a of therespective legsI3, I4 and I5 `acting as retaining members for connng the saucers Withinthe base or frame portion Ill.

The elongated handle I I preferably consists of a pair of parallellyspaced wires 2|, 22 bent in the form of inverted Us, these Wires beingheld in spaced relation preferably by .cross members 23 secured to thehand-gripping portions or grasping means 24, 25 of the handle II and bybeing secured to the frame of skeleton platform 26 at I2. Platform 26 iswelded, soldered or its otherwise secured to the respective horizontalextensions |31), |41), I5b of said extensions of legs I3, I4 and l5. Theinner portions 21, 28 of said wires 2|, 22 function as guides forreceiving the ears 23a of the cups 29 as they are stacked on platform 26in staggered relation.

Fig. 1 clearly shows how the cups 29 are positioned one over the otherwith their respective ears 29a, 29h etc. in staggered relation andbetween the frame portions 21, 28. In order to provide a suitable seatfor the stack on platform 2B, there is provided a cushion 3| made ofrubber, cork, felt or other suitable frictional means.

Fig. 4 shows a modified form of base frame IB wherein the front uprightportions 32a, 33a of legs 32, 33 are somewhat inclined and joined attheir upper ends by a cross piece 34 provi-ding a reinforcement forplatform 35. 'Ihe rear leg 36 is bent inwardly at its upper end asindicated at 31 and is secured to platform 35 at 38, 39.

In both instances (Figs. 3 and 4) the platform consists of asubstantially circular wire ring 26 and 35, respectively, to which anannulus 40 made of wire is concentrically arranged. Ring and annulus areconnected with one another by bridging members, as indicated by numerals4I, 42 (Fig. 3) and 43 (Fig. 4). According to Fig. 4 reinforcingbridging members of platform 35 also are formed by cross piece 34 andextension 31.

The skeleton compartment formed by base or frame portion l 0 and whichis shown in the drawing as retaining the plates A, B, C etc. may beemployed and, if necessary, modified for any convenient purpose, forexample, to support therein such culinary articles, as knives, forks,spoons, etc. The articles placed in saidV compartment will Ithenfunction as ballast to stabilize the rack.

It will be observed that the inclined formation of the skeleton supportor iioor of the compartment of base or frame portion l0 contributes tothe safe retention of the articles placed therein, for the tendency ofthe latter is to abut against the rear leg extension in said compartmentparticularly during carrying of the rack from place to place, even whenswung during transportation.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thusprovided a device of the character described comprising a frame portionfor holding articles, such as saucers, therein, means for retaining saidsaucers against accidental lateral displacement in said frame portion, aplatform forming part of said frame portion for holding articles, suchas cups, thereon, means extending upwardly from said platform forengaging the ears of said cups to maintain said cups in position on saidplatform, and grasping means located substantially above said upwardlyextending means for carrying said rack. The above described rack ordevice possesses the particular features of advantages before enumeratedas desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in itsform, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts withoutdeparting from the principle involved or sacrificing any of itsadvantages.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamentalnovel features of the invention as applied to the above embodiments, itwill be understood that various admissions and substitutions and changesin the form and details of the device illustrated and its operation maybe made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A rack for cups and saucers comprising a frame portion for holdingsaucers therein, means for retaining said saucers against accidentallateral displacement in said frame portion, a platform forming part ofsaid frame portion for holding cups thereon, means extending upwardlyfrom said platform for engaging the ears of said cups to maintain saidcups in position on said platform, and grasping means locatedsubstantially above said upwardly extending means for carrying saidrack.

2. A rack of the character described comprising a frame portion, aplatform adjacent said frame portion, said frame portion comprising acompartment for holding articles, such as saucers, in stacked relation,means for retaining said saucers against accidental lateral displacementin said compartment, and slotted means extending from said frameportion, said platform being adapted for maintaining articles, such ascups, in stacked relation and with the ears of said cups in engagementwith said slotted means.

3. A rack of the character described comprising a handle portion, a baseportion, and a platform intermediate said portions, said handle portioncomprising a pair of spaced apart substantially parallelly disposedU-shapcd members having their ends secured to said platform, said baseportion comprising a compartment for holding articles, such as saucers,in stacked relation, said platform being adapted for maintainingarticles, such as cups, in stacked relation and with their ears withinthe space between said members, said compartment being provided with aninclined support on which said saucers may be stacked.

4. A rack of the character described comprising a handle portion, a baseportion, and a platform intermediate said portions, said handle portioncomprising a pair of spaced apart substantially parallelly disposedU-shaped members having their ends secured to said platform, said baseportion comprising a compartment for holding articles, such as saucers,in stacked relation, said platform being adapted for maintainingarticles, such as cups, in stacked relation and with their earsprojecting within the space between said members, said compartment beingprovided with a substantially rectangular front portion having anopening through which said saucers may be inserted within saidcompartment and being provided with a substantially U-shaped rearportion against which said saucers may abut when so inserted.

ERWIN FEIBELMAN.

